Wednesday, April 20, 2016

I am so happy to be a part of the Global Education program. I went to Nantes last year and was excited to host a student this year. Having Coppelia here kept me busy and I feel like I learned something new every day. We grew on each other and it was like having a little sister. I love that, language barrier aside, we could all make each other laugh. Humor is important to me and it was awesome seeing the way it could work despite cultural differences. I really loved having Coppelia and all the students here.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

I am so thankful to be a part of Ursuline's Global Education program. Hosting Agathe for the past two weeks has been so amazing. The age and culture difference were no barriers for us, because we were more alike than I could have expected. From family life to social activities, I was paired with the perfect match. She has become more than just a "match" to me; she has become a good friend.

We had so much fun throughout the time she was here. We went to Chicago the first weekend she was here. The weather was crazy, and we ended up making a joke about it for the rest of the trip. When we got to Chicago it was snowing, but twenty minutes later the skies would be clear and there would be full sun. This constantly switched off for the rest of the day. (In Nantes it doesn't snow, so she was excited to be able to see it in person). We visited the bean and Willis Tower, as well as shopped for hours on end. We were able to take her to a Blues game and opening day at Busch Stadium to watch the Cardinals (bringing home wins for both games!).

My family and I immersed her in the American culture the one way we knew how: food. She had her first "breakfast for dinner" with us, which included pancakes, sausage, and fruit. We took her to Fritz's Frozen Custard so she could have her first concrete. And of course, we had burgers and ribs. We took her to Favazza's on the Hill for real Italian food, included Saint Louis' famous toasted ravioli.

Honestly though, the simple car rides to and from school and the dinner time conversations are what I am going to miss the most. I will miss not having someone to laugh with on the way to school and not hearing about her field trips during the day at school. Time flew by so quickly, but I will always cherish the moments I was able to spend with Agathe.

I loved the experience and the time I got when my french student was here, but I think my favorite/ best memory was when we went to sky zone because they absolutely loved it. We got to play French VS. American dodge ball, jump on the trampolines together, and just into a giant foam pit. Everyone who went had such an amazing time and I always think about it. My host student Antoinette loved playing on the basketball hoops and having a fun time just running around and jumping which I really enjoyed too.

Having Pierre stay with us for two weeks was a great experience. We bonded and had so much fun together when he was here. From the moment that I saw him in the airport, I could tell that he was so nice and I had made the right decision to host a french student. By the end of the first week, Pierre's English improved so much from being around people who were speaking in English all the time. By the middle of the second week, we were laughing and cracking jokes with each other that we both understood.

Throughout the two weeks he was here, we squeezed everything in that we could think of for him to do in St. Louis. We had a pizza party for all the host students and their parents and the french students at my house. It was really fun and we ordered two Pointersaurus pizzas, which are 28 inches. Everybody, including us Americans, were amazed at the size of the pizzas and took countless pictures of them. The party was a great idea (thanks to my mom) because it helped everybody get to know each other right off the bat. Pierre and I did so many fun things together, including, going to parties, going out to eat at St. Louis places, like Blueberry Hill, for a good St. Louis burger and getting some delicious Ted Drew's. Pierre also enjoyed going to my track meets and my brother’s lacrosse games because he told me that they don't have sports with their high school; only club teams (he’s on a very competitive cycling team). It was my birthday on the 9th and we had a fun celebration while he was here. I woke up to delicious french toast breakfast and opened presents after. That night I had my friends over to make our own pizzas and Pierre chose to put pineapple and ham on his pizza after liking it at the earlier pizza party.

It’s sad because I feel like we were just getting to know each other when he left, but the day came up on us fast when we had to say goodbye at the airport. The time, which is now just a memory, was filled with tears and hugs because we had created such a bond with french students and each other in the short two weeks. I didn't think that I was going to cry at the airport because I usually don't cry unless I hurt myself, but I could feel the tears swelling up in the corners of my eyes as I was saying goodbye to Pierre because I didn’t know if I would ever be able to see him again. When we turned the corner to go down the stairs back to the car, everyone felt the overwhelming sense that the french students were actually leaving and that we weren't going to see them again. It was a sad ride back to Ursuline; so much so that we decided we needed Taco Bell to help ease our sadness. When we got back, it hit me. I was in painting and just couldn't bring myself to paint. Mrs. Payne came over and asked me if I missed Pierre and with that, along with the the sad music that was playing, the tears came.

Monday, April 18, 2016

I had a fantastic time getting to know Chantal. We had many great and fun memories. From going out on adventures like sky zone, to just simple rides in the car I got to learn about her life, her story, and her culture. My favorite memory with Chantal was our adventure to sky zone. We got to jump on trampolines falling, running, and flipping. We got to jump into ball pits and get stuck, as well as playing an intense game of dodgeball French VS Americans. I loved getting to spend time with her and hear about her day on our way back from school everyday. Car rides can be long and boring, but it was always fun to learn something new about her or sing with her. I also had a great time at the Blues game with Chantal. I loved seeing how she got into the game and was cheering them on as if she was at home. I loved this experience and this opportunity and hope to be able to do this again.

My French host student was Lena. She was so amazing and nice! We had so much fun together. Over the weekend we took her to the zoo because she said that they only spent a little time there. She saw all the animals and loved it. After that we went to Ted Drew's to get ice cream, she loved that as well. On Sunday we spent time with my family and she taught me how to sing in French and how to break dance.

From hosting Lena, I learned all about her culture and what she does with her day. She also told me all of her classes and what she learns in them. I hope to see her soon!

Friday, April 15, 2016

I could not be more grateful for being able to host a french student and I could not have gotten a better person to share it with. I was paired with Chloe Vierzon, and we were a perfect match. It is safe to say that we will be lifelong friends, no matter the distance between us. I learned a lot from Chloe, from the differences between our schools, our families, or our cultures. Chloe became part of my family within these two weeks and we got closer than I could've ever imagined. We shared many different experiences in two weeks that I thought would never happened. From going to the hospital one night, to going to Skyzone the next. Along with hanging out with all the French students and the hostesses on the weekends. We all shared a bond during these two weeks and I will never forget the memories we all shared together. Chloe was the sister I never had and I am blessed to have been able to host her.

Having Aymeric stay at my house these past two weeks was absolutely amazing. There was nothing that I would have changed or done differently from the whole experience. One of my favorite parts of the past two weeks was on Friday night when we threw him a surprise party for his birthday. He had so much fun that night and I am very glad that I had the opportunity to do something that made his day better. I think that his favorite part of the trip was when a bunch of us took them all to the Blues game. He loves sports and he was cheering the whole night! It was fun to get to know all of the french students during all of the time we spent together outside of school. We all made connections to one another and they all made a huge impact on my life. I already miss our morning jam sessions to every song on the radio and his intense Fifa games with my little brother. I am very grateful that I got the opportunity to host Aymeric and I hope that I will see him very soon!

My personal experience with her was definitely something I will never forget! I enjoyed getting to know her, and learning about her daily life back in France. One thing that I learned from my experience with Chantal was, when we would go to the mall or out with some of my friends, she would dress up. Whereas I would just dress casually and never would have thought to dress up just to go to the mall or hang out with friends.

One of my favorite experiences that I’ll treasure was when Chantal cooked dinner for my family and I one night. I really enjoyed learning about the food that she ate, and learned about the different foods from the different cultures she lived in. I could really tell that cooking was something that she truly enjoyed and shined at. Chantal has been so many places, and I hope that I someday that I will be able to go visit her!

We also went to the boathouse, and went back to the zoo. She loved exploring the outdoors and enjoyed the nice weather that we had for most of her time while she was staying with us.

It definitely took a bit longer for Chantal to open up, but once she did I really got to see the awesome and unique girl she truly is. I will always be thankful for this very special experience!

I had so much fun hosting Julie over the last two weeks. Last year I traveled to Nantes with Ursuline and stayed with Julie and her family, and I was so excited to see her again this year! It was so much

fun to reconnect with her. We did so many fun things during her visit like going to a blues game, a creperie, Chicago, bowling, getting our nails done, and so much more. Going to Chicago was especially fun! We left for Chicago on Friday after school and when we arrived at our hotel in Chicago it was snowing. Which we were a little unprepared for, but Julie was very excited because she had never seen snow before. In Chicago we went shopping, toured Loyola of Chicago, went to the Willis Tower, and the bean. I had lots of fun showing Julie St. Louis, and it was also fun just staying at home and talking.

Throughout the experience I made many new friends not only with the French students, but with Ursuline girls, too. I miss Julie and all the French student so much and hope to see them all soon. I am so happy to be a part of this Ursuline sisterhood and family that extends further than St. Louis.

I had such an incredible experience meeting and bonding with my French student Mia. She has influenced me in an uncountable number of ways, and taught me so much about her culture and her daily life. We shared our childhood stories and discovered a deeper connection with each other, and from this day on I will forever call her ma soeur (my sister). Mia was such a joy to be around andbrought a positive attitude and influence on me and on my family. We did everything from scarfing down food from America's best fast food joints, to shopping almost all day, and just staying up late talking and watching the best American films. I will never forget my life changing experience with my french student. I hope to go to France my senior year, and reunite with her and her family. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and this wonderful experience. My favorite part was when I would try and speak French and every single time Mia would correct me, but, every time Mia would speak English I would correct her and we both ended up learning so much! Lastly, it was such a blessing to have met the coolest 12 French students from France ever! They were all so filled with kindness and joy, and I feel now after knowing them, I am truly a happier better person!

Thursday, April 14, 2016

​I had such a good time with Lena ​and it was great to see her again. We had so much fun and it was a great experience for both of us. Lena taught us how to make crepes and taught us many other French customs. I loved learning about her culture. We did so many fun things and had such a great time together. We went to birthday parties, creperies, and many more places. I loved having her try new foods such as toasted ravioli, chicken wings, root beer, and more. It was fun for my family as well to try the French candy she brought us. I loved teaching Lena about American culture and her teaching me about her culture. I can't wait to visit Lena in France or for her to come back to St. Louis and spend more time together. This was an amazing experience and I would love to do it again.

I absolutely loved having Hugo stay at my house and thought it was an awesome experience! We did so many fun things including going to KC, shogun, hoosier golf, and so much more I can't even explain. One of my favorite things was actually just hanging out and showing him new things. It was so fun to see Hugo experience things for the first time and try new foods. Talking to him was a lot of fun because we became very good friends and it was cool to learn about his life in France.

The most memorable experience I had with Hugo was the night we arrived to our hotel in Kansas City. It was about 11:00 pm and we were just sitting in the lobby talking when a couple came and sat near us. The man began a conversation with us and I mentioned to him how Hugo was from France. Instantly this man began speaking fluent French to Hugo! It was so awesome and so unexpected. Hugo's face lit up and he was so excited to be able to speak French with someone new after days of English. It turns out this man is from Romania and speaks 5 different languages fluently. He said he thought it was awesome we could enjoy each other's company so much even though we couldn't always understand each other. I can't help but agree!

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

It was amazing hosting her.. We took them to the Blues game one night, something they thought was
absolutely awesome. We went to dinner some nights with my family and other nights we ate home made meals. We went bowling and to Skyzone, both very excited experiences. We introduced Morgane to Ted Drewes,The Malt Shop, Dairy Queen, Imos, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Buffalo Wild Wings. The rest of the days were spent with family or with the other French students and their host students.

I loved getting to know all of the French students and becoming so close to them. I have made many new best friends, some that I will keep for a lifetime. Morgane and I grew especially close, and that is something I can never be thankful enough for. I can truly say that Morgane and the other French students have impacted my life greatly. I will never forget my short 2 weeks with them, it was one of the best experiences I've had.